Zero Waste Gift Ideas
Zero Waste is a philosophy that encourages the redesign of resource life cycles so that all products are reused. The goal is for no trash to be sent to landfills, incinerators, or the ocean. The process recommended is one similar to the way that resources are reused in nature. (Source)
The idea is that we need to reduce the items we actually need, reuse as many products as we can and reduce the amount of items we send to be recycled. You can also compost what cannot be recycled.
My Zero Waste journey began back in February. I’d heard the term bandied around and it intrigued me. I looked into what it meant online and also to see what my family and I could do to reduce our own impact and use of single use plastics.
With that in mind, here are some zero waste gift ideas. Since starting our zero waste journey, I’ve become more mindful when shopping for all sorts of things. From our food to toiletries and now that Christmas is just around the corner I’ve been looking into zero waste gifts.
Gone are the days where I’d pop into my local shop to pick up some 3 for 2 bargains. I’d like the gifts I give to be a bit more meaningful and thoughtful, as well as environmentally friendly.
With that in mind, here are some zero waste gift ideas.
Zero waste doesn’t mean having to give up on beautiful bath products. This year, I’ll be popping into my local Lush shop to buy some bath bombs, shampoo bars and bubble bars for my family and friends.
Bath bombs always go down well, and thankfully Lush sell them without any packaging. The same goes for shampoo bars. I may even create a zero waste gift box to encourage my friends and family to follow suit.
Swapping that luxury bottle of bubble bath for a bubble bar is also a great alternative. Bubble bars last longer and look better in your bathroom than a plastic bottle. My favourite one is called Brightside. It’s an uplifting bubble bar made of Sicilian mandarin, bergamot and tangerine essential oils. It smells amazing and the smell lingers in the bathroom too which is always nice!
Lush also have lots of other plastic free goodies you can buy too and their gift boxes are always amazing!
Some other zero waste gifts include:
- Reusable canvas bags – You can get some pretty cute ones nowadays and it means your recipient won’t need to buy any plastic bags on their next shopping trip. Reusable bags are perfect to leave by your front door or in the boot of your car so you always have them to hand when you need them.
- I tend to look for products that come in glass jars instead of plastic. Although not a gift, on a recent night out with friends, I kept the two glass bottles of Orangina and have reused them at home to keep our glass straws in. I think it looks pretty on our kitchen windowsill!
- An experience day is another good zero waste option. Perhaps a spa day, day at the zoo or a meal in their favourite restaurant.
- You could also purchase a Netflix or similar subscription for a friend.
- Home baked good also go down quite well. How about a Christmas cake or some smaller Christmas cupcakes or biscuits.
- For your female friends, a reusable sanitary cloth starter kit could also be a good idea. I’m a big fan of reusable sanitary pads. You can read my blog post, Everything you need to know about reusable sanitary pads here or my review of Cheeky Wipes Reusable Sanitary Pads here.
- Flannels and reusable makeup pads are also a good gift option.
These are just a few ideas. You can read more of my zero waste blog posts online here. Do you have any ideas to add to the list?
